Nut-lock.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

JESSE C. JENKINS AND ALBERT G. JENKINS, OF PHILIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA.

NUT-LOCK.

To all whom t may concern.' I

Be it known that we, JESSE C. JENKINS and ALBERT Gr. JENKINS, citizensof the United States, residing at Philippi, in the county of Barbour andState of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements inNut-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates vto nut locks, the same being designed withspecial reference to rail joints, the object in view being to provide anut lock for the purpose set forth, which will insure the nuts and boltsbeing held securely in the rail joint, causing the same to remainperfectly tight at all times, and thereby greatly increasing the life ofthe rail joint, as a whole, as well as of the bolts and nuts asociatedtherewith, and effecting a great saving in labor and time as comparedwith the present construction of railroads, in which it is foundnecessary to employ a large force of trackmen, whose sole duty is tokeep the rail joints in a safe condition.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing theimproved nut lock applied to a rail joint. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalhorizontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a detail perspective view of thelocking bar. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the washer and itstongue.

In the drawings, we have illustrated an ordinary rail joint, in which 1and 2 designate the rail ends, the fish plates, 4 the bolts, and 5 thenuts, all of said parts being constructed and combined in the usual wellknown manner.

In carrying out the present invention, we employ at each side of therail joint a locking bar 6, somewhat greater in length than the distancebetween three of the bolts, and this locking bar is provided withexpanded or widened extremities 7 which are recessed,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 16, 1912.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

Serial No. 677,926.

as Shown at 8, to embrace and engage the opposite parallel faces of theadjacent nuts, as shown in Fig. 1, said recesses being shown in the formof open slots extending inward from the extremities of the expandedportions of the locking bar. It is also preferred to make the slots ofsuiiicient length to accommodate any variation in the location of thebolts in rail joints of different sizes.

The central portion of each of the locking bars is laterally offset, asshown at 9, so as to pass around the intermediate bolt head, Shown at10. In connection with the intermediate bolt, we employ a washer 11which is provided with a radially extending tongue 12. This washer isheld between the fish plate and the head of the bolt, and the tongue 12thereof is adapted to be bent over the outside and to bear against theouter face of the central offset portion 9 of the locking bar. Thiseffectually prevent-s displacement of the locking bar and insures saidlocking bar being retained in locking engagement with the nuts embracedby the slotted extremities thereof. The ofi'set cen tral portion 9 ofeach of the locking bars also forms a handle for manipulating thelocking bar in placing the same in proper position to the nuts on therail joint. After this is accomplished, the tongue 12 is bent over theoutside of the offset 9, in a manner illustrated in Fig. 1, by means ofa hammer, Sledge, or similar implement.

What is claimed is:

A nut lock for rail joints, comprising a locking bar having end slots toreceive the nuts of alternate bolts, and a central outwardly extendingoffset adapted to extend around and laterally beyond the intermediatebolt head, and a washer held behind said intermediate bolt head andhaving a bendable tongue designed to extend outside of the centraloffset of the locking lbar to retain the latter in position. j

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JESSE C. JENKINS. ALBERT G. JENKINS.

IVitnesses S. F. HOFFMAN, LEROY V. HOLSBERRY,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Qommissioner ofy Patents, Washington, D. C.

